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Gaza 2013 Olive Harvest
by Marivel Guzman
On August 10, International Solidarity Movement called the international community of Palestinians supporters to come to Palestine to help the residents to harvest the 2013 Olive Harvest. Every year the settlers makes the harvest almost impossible, the presence of ISM members with their cameras y their bodies as human shields help Palestinians to get to their groves without being molested by the settlers.
Every year hundreds of Olive trees are burn or uprooted by settlers, the IDFs presence is obsolete, they do not defend the rights of the Palestinians, for the contrary their presence strengthen the settlers bully attitude.
Harvesting the olives in Gaza, 2013
“We often post distressing news of settlers uprooting, burning or wrecking the olive trees of Palestinians. There is such a report from Sarta, in the north-west West Bank at the foot of this post. But first, we post some lovely photos from Palinfo.com of Palestinians – men and women, young and old – picking and sorting their olives in settler-free Gaza.” Jews for Justice for Palestine
Settlers burn olive trees in Sarta
From International Solidarity Movement, Nablus Team
September 27, 2013
Settlers burned around 35 olive trees in the Palestinian village of Sarta late on Thursday night, following the area being declared a closed military zone in preparation for the construction of a new settler road.
Around 60 settlers from the illegal Bruchin settlement and surrounding area, many armed with guns, set fire to the trees late on Thursday 26th September. At around midnight, the settlers arrived in Sarta. The town mayor asked the Palestinian Authority to liaise with the Israeli army in order to intervene, but when Israeli forces arrived on the scene they informed villagers that the area had been declared closed and told them to leave.
Two days earlier, town residents witnessed four bulldozers arrive in the village to prepare the ground for the construction of the road, which will connect the settlement with road five and is part of an expansion plan for the settlement which will take it from 40 houses to around 550.
The proposed road and settlement expansion is a source of concern to local Palestinians, who stand to lose much of their land under new plans, including local features such as a 500-year-old cemetery.
Col Ann Wrigh Statement
Posted on October 17, 2012 by Akashma Online News
For those who don’t know Ann Wright, she served in the U.S. Army for 29 years, retiring as a Colonel, then put in 16 years in the U.S. diplomatic corps, until she resigned in 2003 to protest the war on Iraq. Since then she has been an indefatigable campaigner for peace and justice around the world.
Statement released by Col Ann Wright
Two days ago, on October 13, three hours before I was to board a flight to Europe to meet up with the Swedish boat to Gaza, the “Estelle,” the next boat to challenge the Israeli blockade, I was called by a board member of the Estelle who said that because of the furor around Greta Berlin’s posting and because I am a member of the new, 2 week old board of the Free Gaza Movement, I was no longer invited to be a passenger on the “Estelle.”The board representative acknowledged that the reason for their invitation to me to be on the “Estelle” was that I am a retired US Army Colonel and former US diplomat who resigned in March, 2003 in opposition to the Iraq war, that I am a vocal critic of Israeli and United States policies on Palestinians and that I have been to Gaza 4 times in the past 3 years, assisted 7 groups to go to Gaza in 2009, helped organize the December, 2009 Gaza Freedom March, was a passenger on the 2010 Gaza Freedom Flotilla, helped organize the 2011 US Boat to Gaza and am an organizer for one of the latest initiatives, Gaza’s Ark.
But, because I am a member of the new board of the Free Gaza movement, and despite the fact I, and Greta and all members of the new board have made public statements posted on the Free Gaza Movement’s website that neither Greta, nor members of the current or previous board are anti-Semitic, bigoted or racist, the fact that I am on the new Free Gaza board was the reason the board of the “Estelle” was withdrawing the invitation for me to sail on the Estelle due to allegations of anti-Semitism of the Swedish Boat to Gaza by pro-Israelis groups in Sweden.
I am saddened by the decision of the board to withdraw its invitation and I believe it is wrong. All of our projects that have challenged Israeli policies toward Palestinians have been called anti-Semitic by pro-Israeli groups. This is not a new tactic used to scare pro-Palestinian groups.
Phil Weiss and Adam Horowitz in an article posted on Mondoweiss said – “there is no room for racism in a movement working for equality, justice and freedom for all in Israel/Palestine”—and they are right, but at the same time, there is no room for throwing long-time international activists for Palestine “off the boat,” so to speak.
Greta Berlin is not an anti-Semite, a bigot or a racist, and neither am I.
I wish the passengers and crew on the “Estelle” a safe voyage in challenging the Israeli naval blockade of Gaza and call for all who support Palestinians to keep their eyes on the prize—justice, dignity and freedom for Palestinians who are suffering under unjust Israeli policies and actions.
Peace to all and among us all,
Ann Wright
The last Passengers of the Estelle Freedom Boat arrived
Posted on October 16, 2012 by Akashma Online News
Source Rumb0 A Gaza UPDATED
The last passengers arrived to the Estelle Freedom Boat on slow boats from the Greek Isle today October 16, 2012, with destination to Gaza, Palestine.
Today the list get completed and the crew of civilian activists block constituted the group that materialized the hope of that of thousands of activists that had contributed to the dream to brake the Gaza Naval blockade imposed illegal by Israel in 2007.
The activists are expected to arrive in Palestinian waters en few days and with days close a chapter of desperation in Gaza. The residents of Gaza are preparing the arrival of the Estelle with joy and expectation.

The last passengers arrived to the Estelle. Photo Credit Ricardo Sixto
Congressmen from the Spaniard Parliament
The latest Palestinian activists are Parliament personnel from diverse countries:
– Ricardo Sixto, congresista en el parliament Spaniard
– Sven Britton, Parliament y físico Sweden
– Aksel Hagen, Parliament Norway
– Vangelis Diamandopoulos, Parliament Greek
– Dimistris Kodelas, Parlamentario Greek
– Jim Manly, ex congressman Canadian
From this passage, formed by citizens of Finland, Canada, Sweden, Spain, Norway, Italy, Greece and Israel, traveling a group of members of national parliaments to ask, not only in word, but in deed, to end the illegal and inhuman blockade subjected to inhumane conditions that almost two million Palestinian suffer, in what constitutes collective punishment with impunity in the eyes of the international community.
Having this representation is essential to give legal legitimacy and pressure on various governments and international bodies to support the passage of a vessel of civilians in a peaceful action demanding respect for human rights of the people of Gaza .
Until today October 17, 2012 time on the Mediterranean Sea, the Estelle is sailing freely, there is no speed boats or military boats close to the Estelle. We expect the governments of the activists pressure Israel to leave them arrive to Gaza. The group is comprise of official representatives of various Governments of Europe. They are un armed and have a humanitarian mission to fulfill. There is no intention to confront Israeli commandos, they are in strictly humanitarian mission.
The mission is missing one important passenger Ann Wright that was previously in the list of activists, but unfortunate recent events prevented her from being part of the crew.
For those who don’t know Ann Wright, she served in the U.S. Army for 29 years, retiring as a Colonel, then put in 16 years in the U.S. diplomatic corps, until she resigned in 2003 to protest the war on Iraq. Since then she has been an indefatigable campaigner for peace and justice around the world.
You can follow live the Estelle trajectory using the Live Ship Map, just refresh the page using CTRL F5 to update her position.